مجموعة ٥/٨ "بلاد فارس: تطوير الطيران التجاري – خدمة يونكرز الجوية" [و‎‎١‎٧‎٨] (٥٧١/٣٥٥)

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
PERSIA. [March 3, 1926.]
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CONFIDENTIAL. Section 1.
[E 1455/6/65] No. 1.
Sir P. Loraine to Sir Austen Chamberlain.—{Received March 3.)
(No. 88.)
Tehran, February 11, 1926.
’ I HAVE the honour, with reference to my telegram No. 53 of the 10th February,
to forward herewith translation of the press version of the Bill sanctioning a
contract with the Junkers Aviation Company for the establishment of air services
in Persia which was passed by Parliament on the 9th February. An authentic
text of the Bill will not be available before the departure of the mail, but if it should
show any important differences I shall inform you of these by telegraph if necessary.
2. There is some doubt about the exact wording and interpretation of article 1,
and M. Jarolimek told me in an interview I had with him this morning that he did
not himself know how it had been finally phrased. He asserted that the company
asked for no more than that they should have a monopoly of subsidy, on the three
lines conceded to them and that they had no desire for the monopoly of flight which,
according to the text which I have received, they are to enjoy.
3. Regarding the second article, he told me that the only European air line
with which the company could hope to connect one of their Persian lines within
the three months specified was the Russian service Baku-Rostov-Moscow, operated
by an Ukrainian company. To make this connection his company intended to
operate a hydroplane service between Baku and Pahlavi without subsidy. The
service via Tabriz and Anatolia was too difficult and dangerous for their present
resources and aircraft, even three-engined machines, but he hoped before long to
connect with an Imperial Airways Service at Kuraitu.
4. I beg leave to call your special attention to clauses (a) and (c) of article 8.
The effect of them will, it seems, be to give Germany a very commanding position
in Persian aviation, military and commercial, and I shall he glad to be informed
in due course how they are viewed by His Majesty’s Government. If they can
possibly be interpreted as an infringement of the spirit or letter of the Treaty of
Versailles the French may, presumably, be relied upon to protest. With reference
to clause {a), M. Jarolimek informed me that the conditions under which their
machines and personnel would be placed at the disposal of the War Office would
form the subject of a special agreement; in any case, under no circumstances would
German personnel be used in operations unless they volunteered. Fie ridiculed the
idea of the heavy Junkers commercial machines being taken seriously by any
European Power as a factor in operations.
5. The French, I fear, are sore at their defeat and a little displeased at the (
neutral attitude which I have felt obliged to adopt. They are inclined to blame
anyone but themselves, and they have only themselves to blame.
6. I am sending copies of this despatch to the Government of India and His
Majesty’s Acting High Commissioner at Bagdad.
I have, &c.
PERCY LORAINE.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Translation of Text published in Press of Bill approving Contract with Junkers
Aviation Company submitted to Majlis.
Article 1. The National Assembly grants a monopoly of aviation on the three
lines mentioned below to the Junkers Aviation Company for a period of five years
from the date of signature and exchange of this agreement, so that services on those
routes may be organised without delay :—
Tehran-Bandar Pehlevi.
Tehran-Bushire.
Tehran-Kuraitu.
[1237 c—1]